Summer Job
by SummersSixEcho
Summary: [One-shot] After saving the world from the Disasteroid and revealing his identity, Danny finds it a little difficult to go unnoticed. But finding a summer job shouldn't be that hard, right?


**Notes:** I thought about a grown-up Danny going through job interviews, with the whole world knowing who he really is and no manager daring to hire a superhero due to the hazards it would imply. Of course, with the Fentons gaining more credibility and sponsorship, he wouldn't have to struggle through that kind of process and would more likely take on the family business (or start one on his own).

Using that same scenario, that wouldn't mean a younger Danny is exempt from filing applications and being interviewed for, say, a temporary job :)

* * *

**Summer Job**

The summer heat was turning out to be more unbearable than in previous years. It occurred to the young man that maybe a weather-manipulating ghost was behind this, but he knew for sure the Observants wouldn't leave Vortex out of their sights again.

Though he benefited from the comforting chill his ice core provided under that sizzling temperature, he felt much better once he entered the _coolest _place in Amity Park for the season: Floody Waters.

It seemed like some kind of miracle they were still hiring, but he figured it was better to not look at a gift horse in the mouth. The park was big enough to accommodate a good part of the city's population, offering waterslides, pools, and artificial waves catering to everyone's need for a refreshing time. It was also the perfect place to go unnoticed, since so many people would rather hurry to take the next splash than pay attention to the new lifeguard on duty.

Within the park's main building, the manager's office was small but well organized, adorned with framed diplomas and several pictures of the park's crews through the years. It only had a few pieces of furniture, including a crystal desk and the black chair where the manager sat.

"So, James Daniels, huh?" the lean man in his late thirties asked. He took a last glance at the application the boy had given him and placed it on top of his desk. Adjusting his small glasses, he took a good look at his potential recruit.

The blond teen sitting in front of him nodded. "Yeah."

He wanted to keep his answers short, concise, to finish the interview as soon as possible. His brown eyes had been itching for a few minutes, but he decided not to grimace at the sensation. He had to keep it cool and not draw any suspicions. If he got the job, a pair of sunglasses would take care of that part of his of problem.

The manager, Kyle Simmons according to the tag on his yellow polo shirt, squinted at him. "You look familiar, kid. Have we met before?"

The teen seemed alarmed, his hand moving subconsciously to rub the back of his head. Had his disguise been too obvious? "Uh, no, I just... have that kind of familiar face. "

"Oh! I know!" Kyle interrupted with a hint of excitement in his voice. "Are you related to the Daniels from Warrensville?"

"I haven't even heard of them."

"Tsk, too bad. They're such a nice family," the manager muttered and skimmed again through the application. "Anyway, what are you doing now, James?"

"I just finished my junior year at Casper High and wanted to make some extra cash during the summer."

"Got any particular plans for your income?"

There was a tiny sparkle in the boy's eyes. "Well... I want to give someone a special gift and I don't want to bother my parents with it."

"So you're looking just for extra cash? You could win more by mowing lawns or babysitting. It's even less risky."

"Yeah, I kinda tried that and it didn't work well," he replied, remembering the time a certain bratty ghost made him and his friends miserable.

"Troubles with a little monster, huh?" Kyle joked.

A small grin tugged at the boy's lips. "You could say that."

Still amused, the manager shook his head. "Anyway, is there anything else in this job you find interesting? Staying cool during the summer? Flaunting your lifeguard uniform? Staring at the girls?"

"What? No! I have a girlfriend," was the reply, accompanied by a disgusted face.

"Good answer!" Kyle exclaimed while he scribbled something quick on the paper. "I've had some creeps wanting this job just to ogle at the ladies. We want people who can respect our guests and stay focused at all times. If you're distracted, someone could drown or people could get hurt during a ghost attack."

The boy stared in confusion. "I'm sorry, ghost attacks? You expect lifeguards to deal with ghosts?" He hesitated for a second and tugged at the front of the black baseball cap he was wearing, to reassure himself his head was well covered. "Isn't that a, you know, Danny Phantom thing?"

Kyle nodded. "Sure thing, kid, but we need our staff to be ready to evacuate everyone. Plus you can't count on that kid being everywhere at once. Now that he's a world renowned celebrity, he probably can't even catch a break."

The teenager resisted making a small snort. "Yeah, must be really tough for him."

There was a brief silence before the manager spoke, staring at the younger man once again. "I'm sorry, but I really can't help this nagging feeling that I've seen you somewhere. And trust me, I'm really good with faces. Were you in the boy scouts when you were younger? I was a group leader a few years ago."

"Maybe you're mistaking me for someone else," the boy replied with more confidence. If the man hadn't figured it out before, despite the skills he claimed to possess, it was less likely to happen now... right?

Kyle shook his head. "Never mind. Let's get back on track. So you say you're a great swimmer, right?"

"Yeah."

"Do you know CPR?"

"I took first aid lessons with my sister a couple of years ago."

"Good, that'll come in handy during the training. Do you know what to do during a ghost attack?"

"I study at Casper High. We've had ghost drills ever since the ghosts started to show up."

"Did you go to school with Mindy Simmons?"

The random question caught the boy off guard. He raised an eyebrow at the manager. "Is that part of the interview?"

Kyle gave him a blank look for a second. "What? Oh, no, sorry," he replied with a dismissive hand gesture. "I just wanted to know if you were one of my niece's classmates. I swear you look familiar."

"I don't know who she is, either," the kid answered with a monotonous voice. He couldn't decide whether to be annoyed or worried.

"Would this be your first job? No, wait. You babysat before."

"Technically speaking, yeah. This would be my first job."

"Are you punctual, James?"

"I-"

"You hesitated," Kyle interrupted point-blank, startling the kid sitting across his desk.

"I haven't said anything yet," the kid scoffed.

The manager gave him a knowing look. "You were beginning to lie. I know when someone's lying. I have three teenagers back at home."

"But I didn't say a single word," he argued.

Kyle shrugged. "You can be honest with me. If you're usually not on time, don't worry. This park opens at 10, so it should be harder to oversleep like you probably did while you were in school."

His interviewee didn't know if that statement made him feel better or worse. "I won't be late, I promise."

"You better not. If you want to pass the lifeguard certification program, you'll have to be at 10 a.m. sharp at the training. I need someone committed to his job."

"I won't mess up," the boy replied earnestly.

If he had to take a guess, he would have said the interview wasn't going well. Aside from the awkward moments, the questions covered a lot of things he had already explained in his application. Sure, Tucker had helped creating his new temporary identity, his background, his education, and even his interests. But the skills listed were true. In fact, he was capable of doing much more than that, but admitting that would've given away his secret.

Maybe looking for a summer job wasn't such a great idea, all things considered, but he had to give it a try. Now that his parents knew his secret and had pretty much the whole city protected thanks to the government's funding, he had the opportunity to enjoy his free time. Of course, with fans and paparazzi stalking him around the clock, his day-to-day activities were beginning to suffer. He couldn't be at peace anywhere, not even at school or the mall. Even going online was annoying enough since it was flooded with pictures, videos, and stories about him.

He wanted people to ignore the fact that he had amazing powers, which helped him save the world. He longed for peaceful days, with fresh air and a warm sun. He wanted to go back in time and stop himself from revealing his identity to everyone. He wanted to be Danny again.

"So why do you think you could be a great lifeguard?" Kyle asked after a few seconds of analyzing if there was anything else in the kid's application he could question.

Dannyshrugged. "I like helping people, so I want to do something useful this summer."

"But you won't get a great salary. Wouldn't that be an issue if you also want to save some money?"

Yes, he wanted to save some money to buy something truly special, something he wanted to give Sam after their graduation next year: a ring. He wanted it to be secret, personal, and out of his own pocket. But that wasn't the only reason why he wanted this job...

"To be honest," he began, "I just want to be out of home for a few days, doing something useful, enjoying the summer, being able to interact with people, that kind of thing."

Kyle couldn't help but smile at the sincere reply. "Well, kid, if you pass the training, I'll be glad to see you around here."

"Really?" Danny asked in surprise. He was almost convinced this interview had been a waste of time.

"Really. You seem like a nice kid. Just don't wear that silly cap while you're on duty or- what?"

The boy froze. The manager had taken the cap off his head and it had brought the blond wig along with it. His mind was buzzing with excuses, trying to find his way out and conceal the fact that Danny Phantom had been looking for a job. He wouldn't be safe using any kind of disguise again if anyone found out. "I- I can explain!"

"You're wearing a wig?"

"I knew it was a bad idea..." Danny muttered.

Kyle sighed tiredly. "You kids and your crazy trends..." He handed both items back to Danny. "I don't want this near my pools, you got it?"

The young hero didn't understand the man's reaction. He was at a complete lack of words, his lips moving with no intelligent sound coming from them. "Uh..."

The manager quirked an eyebrow. "What? You got a problem with that?"

Danny stared at the man and then at the wig, trying to make sense of the situation. He didn't know how to ask him anything. "You didn't notice anything... odd?"

The older man gave him a quizzical look. "You mean aside from you coming to an interview with a wig and a baseball cap?"

A look between excitement and relief appeared on Danny's face. He reminded himself to keep his cool and act as inconspicuous as he intended to be from the start. He put the wig back on quickly to prevent the man from realizing who he really was. "Sorry, I was just testing a new look. I won't do it again as long as I work here." He would think of another solution with his friends.

Kyle beamed and stood up, giving the boy a handshake. "Excellent! Now, I'll see you tomorrow here at 10, all right?"

Danny was still incredulous but replied with a cheery tone. "Definitely, Mr. Simmons. Thanks again for the opportunity!" And with that he left as fast as he could, before the manager changed his mind or recognized him.

The manager was pensive for a few minutes, staring at the place _James_ occupied earlier. "Wait a second... now I remember where I've seen him!" Kyle spoke out loud in the solace of his office, kicking himself for not making the obvious connection. "He was in the Kid Cuisine commercials!"

**Fun fact**: David Kaufman (Danny's voice actor) gave life to the Kid Cuisine's mascot.

Thanks for reading!


End file.
